Business leaders roundtable Archives - The Young Professional

January 26, 2021

Tom Marsden

Ashton Love Joins tHRive Board

tHRive is pleased to announce that Ashton Love has been elected as Vice Chair of Membership on tHRive’s Board of Directors for the 2021 calendar year. The young professional program of the Hampton Roads Chamber is approaching its sixth year as one of the 757’s premiere young professional networks, and boasts a roster of over 3,000 diverse members in practically all of the region’s primary industries.

Ashton will take a leadership role on the Membership committee, which is responsible for engaging with current members and providing a welcoming environment for new and future members to network, share and grow. When asked why he joined the tHRive Board, Love stated “I’m passionate about building our young professional community in the region and I’m excited to help continue, and grow, the success and impact of tHRive.”

Love will also be integral in developing safe and opportunistic events for new and current members to connect throughout his two-year term on the Board. “As we begin 2021, I am very pleased to have Ashton joining our Board of Directors,” says tHRive Chairman Tom Marsden. “He brings an energy to the position that will surely help connect and motivate our own members to get more involved with tHRive.”

Ashton Love is employed as an Investment Executive at Davenport & Company LLC, where he helps a variety of clients with their investment and financial planning needs which can range from retirement planning to stock and investment portfolio management.

Melissa Katz Joins tHRive Board

January 26, 2021

Tom Marsden

Melissa Katz Joins tHRive Board

tHRive is pleased to announce that Melissa Katz has been elected as Vice Chair of Branding on tHRive’s Board of Directors for the 2021 calendar year. The young professional program of the Hampton Roads Chamber is approaching its sixth year as one of the 757’s premiere young professional networks, and boasts a roster of over 3,000 diverse members in practically all of the region’s primary industries.

Melissa Katz will support the branding committee, as the Branding Vice Chair. This role is responsible for defining, sharing, engaging, and evolving what it means to be a part of tHRive. In 2021, the team is focused on re energizing members in areas of professional development, cultivating relationships, and community engagement. When asked why she joined the tHRive Board, Katz stated “I’m very excited to join this impressive Board, and hope to use design to create a positive impact with the people in our region.”

Katz will also be integral in telling the story of tHRive and giving a voice to young professionals throughout her two-year term on the Board. “As we begin 2021, I am very pleased to have Melissa joining our Board of Directors,” says tHRive Chairman Tom Marsden. “She will no doubt play an integral role in representing the young professional community, and I commend her for committing time and energy into moving our region forward through her work with tHRive.”

Melissa Katz is employed as a Design Manager at The Port of Virginia where she leads the creative direction and evolution for their visual design and experiences.

March 23, 2016

Alejandro J. Medina

Working Women and Wine BLR

Fifty women came together for tHRive’s “Working Women and Wine” on March 21. This sold out event allowed attendees to meet like-minded people with the same struggles and ambitions, and gain insight on how to successfully balance work and home life.

Moderated by tHRive’s event chair, Lauren Bland, this panel discussion included Amanda Jarratt, President & CEO of Franklin Southampton Economic Development, Inc.; Monique Adams, Executive Director of Angels 757; Donna Allen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Visit Norfolk; and Sharon Fanto, Vice President of Cox Media. The panelists shared who their mentors were and how they have used their networks to advance in their careers. They offered up unique tips and tricks to managing motherhood and work, and shared how they schedule time for themselves during the week.

The discussion lasted some 45 minutes and then was open to 15 minutes of questions. The panelists and attendees stuck around afterward laughing and sharing stories.

tHRive would like to extend a huge thank you to Bluebird’s Garage for hosting the event in their thoughtfully curated studio and to Green Cat Juice Bar and Market for catering.

the school of hard knock — The School of Hard Knock

February 25, 2016

Alejandro J. Medina

The School of Hard Knock

tHRive presented a Business Leader Roundtable event, The School of Hard Knocks on financial planning on February 25. The event was hosted and sponsored by Old Point National Bank in Hampton. Three informative panelists, Cameron Miller, Cheri Green, and Chaytor Midgett, shared industry tips, practical advice and relevant information for millennials to gain skills, confidence and knowledge about their financial planning decisions.

Miller, a financial advisor with The Opus Group, explained that a financial advisor is important to help save money and properly plan for the future. Green, a private banker with Old Point National Bank, expressed the importance of having a personal relationships with your banker. Private bankers understand your objectives and will help you to reach your personal goals at a faster and more successful rate. Midgett, Senior Vice President and Mortgage Regional Sales Manager of Monarch Bank, shared that having a relationship with your mortgage counselor helps build trust and allows you to properly invest your money.

Each panelist brought their own expertise to the event. Miller shared advice on how to best tackle the most common forms of debt burdening millennials, such as college loans and credit card debt. For instance, paying off debt in a specific order, based on interest rates, can help improve your credit score and even save you money. Green explained how building a relationship with your personal banker is important so they cannot only help secure your money, but understand your objectives and help you better achieve those objectives. Lastly, Midgett offered great advice for young professionals looking to purchase their first home. For example, grant programs can be a great source of financing and utilizing a financial advisor can help you avoid purchasing more than you can truly afford.

All three panelists are young professionals and shared valuable information that every young professional found to be relatable, valuable and worthwhile when trying to achieve their financial goals.

blr with tom frantz — Tom Frantz presents “The Mega-Region” to Millennials

December 7, 2015

Alejandro J. Medina

Tom Frantz presents “The Mega-Region” to Millennials

What is a Mega-region?

The anticipated growth of metropolitan areas in coming years will produce new opportunities to collaborate beyond their boundaries. These new, larger metropolitan areas are better known as mega-regions. Tom Frantz, CEO and Chairman of Williams Mullen, highlighted the opportunity of creating a mega-region from Richmond to the Oceanfront. This potential mega-region creates a range of strengths and challenges, including but not limited to transportation advancements, interconnecting economic systems and shared natural resources.

How does it affect me?

The current population growth and low-density settlement patterns create the need for policy coordination on a regional level. Creating a link between the Capitol region and the natural resources of Hampton Roads, such as the Port of Virginia, is a win-win that will only encourage additional collaboration for economic and transportation purposes. According to Frantz, most of the rapid population growth and economic expansion in the country is expected to occur within 11 mega-regions. Without a mega-region from Richmond to the Oceanfront, we will essentially miss out.

What happens next?

Mega-regions that share common interests benefit from a collaborative approach to policy decision making. The Hampton Roads Business Roundtable has already agreed to meet quarterly with the Richmond Business Roundtable to reinforce their partnership, Frantz explained. He also encouraged members to share information about the ongoing discussions surrounding the mega-region. We will begin polling the membership to determine if our organization supports the concept. Be mindful that spurring economic development in our area enhances our quality of life. Any initiative that accomplishes this is more than just a good idea, it’s good business.